Cameron Diaz ‘astounded by Benji’

Cameron Diaz’s relationship with Benji Madden “hit her out of nowhere”.

Cameron, 41, and Benji, 35, were photographed hand-in-hand when they went for a walk around New York City on Tuesday.

The couple was also spotted on a dinner date in Manhattan over the weekend and reportedly couldn’t keep their hands off each other during the meal.

“The relationship sort of hit Cameron out of nowhere,” a source close to the star told People. “She’s always been open-minded when it comes to men. She just wants to have something in common with them and find a personality that loves life and loves as hard as she does.”

The Other Woman actress was first linked to the former Good Charlotte singer last month when they were spotted leaving a Los Angeles gym together.

“She’s at a point in her life where she would love to settle down,” the source told People. “But for now with Benji it’s about being happy and taking things as they come.”

Cameron’s friend Nicole Richie apparently introduced the couple to each other and is married to Benji’s twin brother Joel Madden. It’s been claimed Cameron is happy feeling out the relationship at the moment, although her pal Drew Barrymore is said to be concerned that Benji might not be right for her.

Cameron was previously romantically linked with Carlos de la Torre, Alex Rodriguez, Justin Timberlake and Matt Dillon. She has never been married and has often said she would rather be alone than settle for a relationship that wasn’t right. The star recently caused controversy when she suggested that being monogamous wasn’t the be all and end all, adding she believes most people have had someone been unfaithful to them.

“Everybody has been cheated on, everyone will be cheated on. I can’t fix that, I don’t know how, I don’t have any judgment on anybody, I don’t know how to fix the problem,” she said. “We are human beings, we are complicated – you cannot go through life without tallying up a few scars, you cannot go through life unscathed, it’s just what it is. It’s all meant to happen, take your lessons, figure it out, move on.”